Pokémon Rumble U will be the monster app the Wii U has been looking for.

Pokémon Rumble U will be the monster app the Wii U has been looking for.

Activision has made a killing with Skylander series. Although a greedy company, Activision sure does know how to make money off videogames. The premise of purchasing of toys and summoning them in the TV screen is a stroke of genius, and they should be applauded for their success.

NFC will be the new DLC of the industry. I’m calling it right now. Publishers will be pushing NFC toys aggressive in the future, gamers will hate them, and people will buy them. Disney has jumped on the bandwagon with the upcoming Infinity series. Nintendo has Pokémon Rumble U ready for the Wii U later this year. And I suspect that EA will join the NFC craze (because we all know how much they love money).

However, I digress. Let’s go back to the topic. Pokémon Rumble U will be the monster app the Wii U has been looking for. I say this statement with full confidence and I am willing to wager my collection of Pokémon cards (maybe my Yu-gi-oh cards as well) on it. I honestly believe that Pokémon Rumble U will become a system seller for the Wii U and will turn the fortunes of the console around.

Why am I confident? It has Pokémon in its name.

The Pokémon is an enormous brand. It is globally recognized; it is a household name and has one of the cutest mascots in history. I will admit Pokémon’s popularity has shrunk since the 90’s, but that does not negate the brands the ability to move millions. The Pokémon brand is not a fad (a fad like Justin Bieber) that will eventually disappear into obscurity. Its popularity is enduring and sustaining like the music of Michael Jackson.

Just look at the recent success of Pokémon. Pokémon Black and White sold around 15 million units worldwide and its unprecedented sequel respectively moved 7.6 million units. Combine the Pokémon brand with the appeal of the NFC figurines, Nintendo may have a formula for success.

If Nintendo can market Pokémon Rumble U correctly, it could be the beginning of a gaming phenomenal. This eShop title has the potential to surpass Skylanders and Disney’s Infinity will be lost from the trail of dust that Pokémon Rumble U leaves behind. Nintendo will be swimming in a sea of cash made from those figurines and the Wii U will become a raging success. That is if all this becomes true.

However, the reality can be harsh. Pokémon Rumble U may become a spectacular flop. Success is never handed over on a silver platter, Nintendo needs to work for the cash. I can’t stress enough, how critical marketing is for the success of Pokémon Rumble U. Nintendo bundle those figurines with the McKid’s meal at MacDonald’s. Sell them at those toy vending machines. Spam those annoying Pokémon commercials during kids breakfast TV periods. Let the whole world know about Pokémon Rumble U.

Little Kiddies and long-time Pokémon fans will be naturally attracted to the concepts behind Pokémon Rumble U. You gotta catch them all or collect them all. Nintendo has gone fishing. The bait are those figurines, and the hook is to trap the consumers to buy the Wii U. Nintendo, you devious devil! Eternally the enemy of our wallets.

The selling point of the game will be collecting the figurines. At this point, I don’t have much faith in Pokémon Rumble U as a game; it looks repetitive (just like the skylander’s series). Nintendo could add a deep multiplayer, where player can design their own teams and battle each other. That would be impressive and can see a community growing from there. Those figurines are just so enticing, that I don’t particular care if the game is garbage. And besides the target audience can distinguish between a good game from a bad, as long it is hip and trendy.

There is a chance that I have totally missed the ball. There is a good chance that the same Ball could hit a place where it would hurt the most. The basis of my argument is the assumption that Pokémon Rumble U will be a massive. This well could be hyperbole, maybe just the inner Nintendo Enthusiast within me talking. You will only live once, and I’m willing to make an outrageous prediction. Pokémon Rumble U will be the monster app the Wii U has been looking for.

About Michael Sobrevega -
Michael is the proud owner and Editor-in-Chief of Mii-gamer.com! He has a Bachelors Degree with First Class Honors ( try to guess his Degree), and has been writing about video games for many years. His favorite Nintendo franchises include the Legend of Zelda, Super Smash Bros. and Pokemon. When Michael is not playing video games – he is usually outdoors riding kangaroo’s, playing cricket or sleeping (or doing all three at the same time).

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